Where does the garbage go?

1. Where does the garbage go?

2. Landfills in the U.S. : • The materials we bury in landfills are not decomposing as fast as we can fill landfills. • Even biodegradable materials, like newspapers, take several years to decompose. • What is the effect?

4. 1988 – 8,000 active landfills • 1999 – 23,00 active landfills • Landfills are filling to full capacity!

5. Biodegradable Materials • Material that can be broken down by biological processes • Examples: • Plant and animal matter are biodegradable • Products made from natural materials, including newspapers, paper bags, cotton fibers, and leather

6. Nonbiodegradable Materials • Material that CANNOT be broken down by biological processes • Examples: • Synthetic compounds are NOT biodegradable • Polyster, nylon, plastic

7. Plastic • Made from petroleum or natural gas • Cannot be broken down and so accumulate • Consumed by marine life and NOT digested • Make up 80% of the GREAT GARBAGE PATCH

8. REDUCE the problem…. • So, if we are running out of our land due to landfill and hazardous waste sites, and incineration causes more air pollution, then… • How can we reduce the problem?

9. Solutions to Waste Disposal • REDUCE • REUSE • RECYCLE

10. Source Reduction (Reduce) • Any change in the design, manufacture, purchase or use of materials or products to reduce their amount of toxicity before they become municipal solid waste • If we produce less waste, then we use less landfills, and save energy by not needing to recycle it

11. Buy products with less packaging or can be used more than once. • Before 1965, bottles were designed to be returned and refilled at bottling plants

12. Use a cloth reusable bag instead of a plastic disposable bag • Use a refillable water bottle instead of disposable

13. Redesign products to use less material and to last longer.

14. Paper vs. Plastic? • Both consume energy when made • Paper decomposes quicker but both consume energy and therefore harm the environment!

15. Design materials to break down quickly • Photodegradable Plastic • Designed to become weak and brittle when left in the sun for many weeks and decomposes • Breaks down quickly

16. Buy products that decompose quickly • Green Plastic • Consists of plant sugars with chemicals • Uses 20-50% less fossil fuel • Decomposes within 45 days of being used BUT does not disappear, only breaks into smaller pieces

17. Properly Dispose of Household Hazardous Wastes • Dispose of paints, pesticides, motor oil, batteries, cleaners, fertilizers in a proper facility

18. Recycle • Process of recovering valuable or useful materials from waste or scrap

19. Why recycle? • Consume less energy making products from recycled products, (….however, if you don’t buy them at all then even more energy is saved!) • Making products from recycled materials usually saves energy, water, and other resources. • For example, 95% less energy is needed to produce aluminum from recycled aluminum than from ore. • About 70% less energy is needed to make paper from recycled paper than from trees.

20. The Steps of Recycling 1.Collecting and sorting discarded materials by type 2.Taking the materials to a recycling facility 3. Cleaning the discarded materials so they can be shredded or crushed 4. Reusing the shredded or crushed material to manufacture new products 5. Selling the new products to consumers

21. If more people purchase products made from recycled materials, there would be an increase in demand for these products. • Manufacturers would then build more facilities to make recycled products and, in turn, make it easier for communities to recycle.

22. Recycled Products • Newspapers recycled into: • Cardboard • Egg Cartons • Building Materials • Aluminum recycled into: • Soda cans • Plastic recycled into: • Toys • Insulation • Carpet • Crates

24. Compost • Mixture of plants, soil, decomposing matter (food scraps) and decomposers (worms) to make fertilizer • Converts yard waste/food scraps into soil

25. Yard waste often makes up more than 15% of a community’s solid waste. • Composting can be an effective way of handling biodegradable waste from businesses and homes. • If all biodegradable wastes were composted, the amount of solid waste going to landfills could be reduced.

27. In summary…. • Simply changing the materials we use could eliminate much of the solid waste we produce. • Recycling/Reusing common household products into useable products could also help eliminate solid waste.